The invention relates to a method for folding an airbag for an airbag module and a device for conducting such a method.
Here, an airbag is disposed on a support and at least one piling element is provided next to the (circumferential) outer edge of the airbag disposed on the support whereby the airbag is bundled together (from its outer edge into the direction of an imaginary centre) by the means of the piling element in that the at least one folding or piling element is moved by acting onto the outer edge of the airbag along the support in direction of the inside (for instance the centre) of the airbag disposed on the support.
Such folding methods are known as so called pile foldings, compare DE 195 35 564 A1. Here, the airbag to be folded is bundled together to an airbag package by the means of multiple piling elements opposing each other pairwise, respectively. This occurs within a folding space which defines a predetermined height profile which delimits the airbag package formed by the piling folding downwards and upwards. A piling folding can basically also be carried out with only one movable piling element, for instance by arranging a stationary counter bearing opposite said piling element and the piling element is moved towards said counter bearing for folding an airbag by acting on the edge of the airbag.
At hand, a retainer protrudes from the at least one piling element which is moved together with the piling element during movement of the piling element along the support and reaches thereby over an edge area of the airbag.
In case of the method of this kind known from the US 2008/0194393 A1 a gas generator is disposed in the centre of the support which is provided for inflating the folded airbag in the event of a crash. During folding of the airbag by the means of two pairs of piling elements movable against each other a central section of the airbag is placed into folds, which continue above the gas generator. In order to prevent that the further folding areas of the folding section of the piled airbag formed next to the gas generator get caught in the folding sections located above the gas generator the folding sections formed next to the gas generator according to the known methods are being reached over from the retainer assigned to a respective piling element and prevents thereby a protruding thereof to the level of the folding sections above the gas generator.